The Brief
To provide complete stereoscopic kit and crew support for Red Bee / MPC's Sony Wimbledon 3D cinema commercial shoot.
Solution
Inition's Andy Millns, Campbell Goodwille, Charlie Perera and Peter Collis were on the shoot with our Pulsar rig supporting two Phantom HD Gold cameras (from our high-speed partners Pirate). The 60 second commercial, post-produced by MPC was shoot exclusively in high-speed with frame rates up to 800 fps.
The technically demanding shoot went very smoothly with 8 setups in one day shooting mainly on a Technocrane. The size of the Neutron rig is perfectly suited to the Phantom HD Gold cameras, keeping the size and weight of the package to a minimum. Large screen 3D TV monitoring was provided, along with 3D video assist.
Results
The final piece was shown in cinemas throughout the UK to promote Sony's upcoming live 3D transmissions of Wimbledon. If you would like to see the piece in 3D then pay us a visit.
3D Filming: Tony Hawk on Tour
The Brief
Extreme sports production specialist Boomerang Productions, asked Inition to supplied stereoscopic equipment, crew, consultancy and 3D post services for a half hour 3D programme following Tony Hawk on his European tour in Berlin and Brighton.
Solution
Due to a combination of low weight, compact size and high quality image output, Inition chose to shoot everything with Toshiba IK-HD1(1920x1080i) minicams to capture the essence and drama of the competitor's daring skate tricks.
Inition’s crew established three camera positions during the Berlin shoot in order to captuire the action from all angles.
A Fig Rig gave the cameraman incredible flexibility to capture fast motion shots. A Polecam lightweight jib was positioned at the top of a ramp side which captured stunning sweeping overhead shots including those classic 3D shots when the skater appears to be jumping out the screen. The third stereoscopic rig was mounted on a regular tripod which was used to capture ground level footage and close ups.
To monitor the action, each rig was connected to a StereoBrain Processor. Battery powered and highly lightweight, the StereoBrain processor can process a left and right signal and output a variety of 3D modes which can be viewed on a 2D or 3D monitor. During the Tony Hawk shoot, Inition’s crew used StereoBrain processors to output an anaglyph feed to 7” HD-SDI monitors. Media was recorded to Nanoflash solid state recorders.
Results
Using the three camera set up, Inition was able to deliver motion rich, immersive 3D footage for Boomerang Productions. Boomerang Productions delivered a 2D edit to Inition where it was geometrically corrected and mastered into 3D for 3D Blu-ray authoring.
The 3D footage was used to create a half hour TV programme which aired on French TV channel Canal+ in October.
3D Shoot: LG 'Rare Butterflies' Commercial
As part of LG’s multi million pound 3DTV advertising campaign, Inition worked with Framestore to shoot a 3D cinema advert which aims to show film-lovers how the 3D experience can be recreated in their living rooms. The campaign for media agency Mindshare was directed by The IT Crowd star Richard Ayoade. It features comedy duo Tim Key and his sidekick Lloyd Woolf who take viewers on a brief history of 3D through to the latest developments and what the future holds.
The Brief
Framestore required a versatile, mobile and high-quality stereoscopic 3D filming solution and the expertise to operate it on crane for their one-shot-wonder treatment.
Solution
Inition specified the SI-2K mini system which offers a great compromise between size and quality. Combined with our matched UltraPrime lenses this offered a cost-effective and highly maneuverable solution on this technically demanding shoot. 3 Inition crew were on hand to build and run the rig (3D rig tech and assistant and stereographer).
Results
The advert is a tongue-in-cheek take on current formulaic 3D showreels and starts with Woolf dressed up as Godzilla destroying a cardboard city below him. The sequence then pans through other popular 3D viewing genres such as football and nature, before ending in a stage set front room with Key and Woolf on the sofa and the strap line "Bringing the magic of 3D home with LG".
Inition's Andy Millns was the stereographer on-set. Post-production at Framestore included adding VFX to the live action sequence which was on-lined by respected VFX artist and post-production consultant David Cox.
"I was very happy with the material from the shoot, the optical line up between the cameras was very good and the colour matching was as close as I've seen." David Cox, VFX/Mistika consultant.
The cinema advert marks LG's first foray onto the silver screen and will be shown alongside screenings of 3D movies Tron: Legacy and the new Chronicles of Narnia film, starting on December 10th.
**UPDATE** LG were so happy with FrameStore's ad that they commissioned a second-part. Framestore came back to Inition who provided the same team and kit for the second shoot which went as flawlessy as the first.
You can watch the advert here (in 2D only) or pay us a visit to see in 3D!
3D Shoot: Rollercoaster 3D to Promote New Gameshow
The Brief
Red Bee Media hired Inition to shoot a 3D advert promoting a new theme park based gameshow - 'Scream If You Know The Answer' for UKTV.
The brief was to replicate the adrenaline inducing feeling of riding the white knuckle rides at Thorpe Park and after a tough recce day trying all the coasters at the park, the team chose Colussus, the UK's only quadruple-corkscrew coaster.
Solution
At the front of the ride the Inition team installed two SI-2K Mini Digital Cinema Cameras in a parallel arrangement on a rugged mounting system designed by Extreme Facilities. To adhere to health and safety requirements, Extreme Facilities modified a crash dummy which housed and contained all the recording equipment.
Results
The footage was finished in-house using our 2K Iridas SpeedGrade system which is suitable for large and small screen 3D projects, ideal as this 3D advert was shown in cinemas and on 3D TV sets in over 1,200 Sky 3D pubs.
Filming Man Utd in 3D for Epson
The Brief
Inition's sister company, Pointy Stick was comissioned by Epson to create a stereoscopic 3D promotional film featuring some of Manchester United's top stars. The 3 minute piece, conceived and executed entirely in stereoscopic 3D was created to help launch Epson's first range of home 3D projectors and celebrate their partnership with the world-famous club.
Solution
The film, directed by Pointy Stick’s Michael Lindsay and Gaute Hesthagen begins with the players in a black abstract space with intimate super slow-motion sequences portraying the drama at the heart of the battle between player, ball and gravity. The combination of shooting in stereoscopic 3D and at 1000 frames-per-second, both techniques that allow us to see more, reveals the underlying forces, decisions and skills at play in what are normally unseen fleeting moments of the game. The piece transitions into playful behind-the-scenes moments with the players on set, watching themselves and each other in slow-motion 3D, for the first time, using a 3D Epson projector in a living room set, shot in the same studio.
The Challenges- With such rare access to world-class players, the aspirations for the project were high but meticulous planning was required for such a technically demanding shoot given only three hours access to the players. The stereoscopic treatment was developed in detail with a 3D aesthetic to reward the viewer with a rich, intimate experience, rather than just a 3D-effect; by shooting against black, all the available depth is levereged by just player and ball creating heightened volume, texture and definition that brings to life every tensed muscle, ripple in fabric, droplet of sweat, impact of player and ball.
Results
Michele Brown. Head of Advertising Creative at Epson said: "This beautifully shot 3D promo demonstrates the quality of the Epson 3D projector and the power of 3D as a visual medium". Michael Lindsay, Creative Director at Pointy Stick comment: "Our aim was to provide a taste of the athleticism and skills of the modern game of football in a medium that allows us to share their world. The piece was carefully crafted to create a powerful visual experience that fully exploits the mostly-untapped potential of stereoscopic 3D film-making."
The promo (in 2D):
Behind-the-scenes (filmed in 3D but shown here in 2D):
Epson's Range of 3D Projectors
The stereoscopic 3D promo is being shown at events around the world to show off Epson's first consumer 3D projectors. The Pro Cinema 6010 is aimed at high-end home cinema installations whereas the 5010 is aimed at the living room. Both projectors require active glasses and both include an HD wireless transmission unit.
Pointy Stick also delivered a TV commercial and shot a behind-the-scenes documentary footage directed by Chris Holt. Stereoscopic 3D production support and camera equipment was provided by Inition. Pointy Stick completed the edit in-house with final finishing completed at Onsight. 3 different 3D camera systems were used for the shoot including:
- Epic hand-held easy-rig (details)
- Phantom high-speed rig (details)
- Mini-cam documentary rig (details)
Credits
Directors: Michael Lindsay and Gaute Hesthagen
Stereo producer: Andy Millns
Line producer: Mark Parsons
DOP: Brendan McGinty
For more information please contact Alix Wood, Pointy Stick on 07989 068 416, alix@pointystickfilms.com